Information and digital literacy in education via the digital path

It’s natural to want children and graduates to develop a set of all-purpose cognitive tools with which to navigate their way through the world. But can such things be taught? Carl Hendrick argues that general critical thinking skills cannot be so easily transferred from one context to another.

Being an air-traffic controller is not easy. At the heart of the job is a cognitive ability called “situational awareness” that involves “the continuous extraction of environmental information [and the] integration of this information with prior knowledge to form a coherent mental picture”. Vast amounts of fluid information must be held in the mind and, under extreme pressure, life-or-death decisions are made across rotating 24-hour work schedules. So stressful and mentally demanding is the job that, in most countries, air-traffic controllers are eligible for early retirement. In the United States, they must retire at 56 without exception.

Introduction. Grounded in Alexander’s model of domain learning, this study presents an integrated micro-model of information literacy. It is predicated upon the central importance of domain learning for the development of the requisite research skills by students.
Method. The authors reviewed previous models of information literacy and inquiry-based learning to create a new model. A systematic review of research studies from cognitive development, learning theory and information science literature was conducted to demonstrate how domain learning provides the requisite knowledge and interest for students to apply the concepts and skills of information literacy.
Results. Novices and experts exhibit marked differences in their information gathering and online searching capabilities and strategies based on their levels of domain knowledge and interest.
Conclusions. The integrated information literacy model and research findings show how librarians and college faculty can collaborate in new partnerships to strengthen disciplinary information literacy in undergraduate curricula. Specific recommendations are given for how teaching techniques can be improved to enhance the development of information literacy skills for online searching and information evaluation and to foster greater domain learning.